I feel every Tuesday like a machine takes possession of my body — gears grind through my head, torso and limbs. I almost hear the mechanisms on automatic — writing, fact-checking, editing, then printing and running from the Xerox to the proof reader, choosing photos from contact sheets and laying out the paper.

That’s just my job. Putting out a newspaper depends on all staff members here to do their jobs and reach their deadlines to keep the wheels from squeaking or falling off. But sometimes it happens.

Someone fails to meet deadline or turn in an assignment and that can affect the whole system, ultimately bringing the machine to a temporary halt.

The process is a chain of duties and mine is not at the end-all. Our composing team of Halie and Mandy rely on themselves and everyone else to get each element (and there are thousands) to them to package your weekly community newspaper and deliver it to the printer via email in Garden Grove.

Glitches occur every week. They even occur at the printer’s after we’ve done everything right here. Devices break down, whether machine or human.

In the newspaper’s case, because we lack a large window for error, quick decisions must be made and we often do it as a team.

We get through it, whether big or little. A big one occurred this week and my head blew up for a bit, but Jack took me out for a stroll to walk it off. We came back and already, an employee had resolved it. That’s what I love about working with a great team.

We stopped our deadline machine long enough to enjoy pre-schoolers singing Christmas carols in the front office. What a delight. Why, we even squeezed their photo in the paper after deadline. What a joy to serve this community.

Becky Clark, Editor